RECIPES - Seared diver scallops, celeriac puree, bergamot gel and white truffle.
There is not a single story regarding this dish but rather the combination of several ones at different times.
Scallops are one of my favourite shellfish and, therefore, an obvious choice for protein option.
Sedano di Verona, or celeriac in English, has for years been an ingredient often used in one of the restaurants where I worked, and in this recipe, it is made as we made it there.
However, the Bergamot gel is an experiment born from the curiosity to try a new ingredient and give a bit of acidity to the dish.
Looking at the catalogue of one of my suppliers, I noticed that they had it available, and I decided to use it instead of the usual lime or lemon.
Every dish has a story, and this is the result of curiosity, creativity and experience.
Ingredients for serving 4 people:
12gr white truffle
For the celeriac puree
300gr celeriac
200ml whole milk
50gr butter
Salt
White Pepper
Nutmeg
Thoroughly clean the celeriac to remove traces of soil, peel it and roughly dice it.
In a saucepan, heat the milk together with the diced celeriac.
Cook it for about 30 minutes and then remove the milk in excess, but do not through it away.
Use a hand blender to obtain a creamy and velvety mixture, adding a little bit of the milk if getting too dry.
Add the butter, nutmeg, and season with salt and white pepper.
Cook over medium heat, continuing to stir with a wooden spoon until it is homogeneous and firm.
Keep warm.
For the seared diver scallops
12 diver scallops
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Wild forest pepper of Vietnam
Go to your trusted fishmonger and buy diver scallops.
Have them cleaned for you, unless if prefer to do it yourself.
Also, remove the coral and pat them dry.
In a dish, pour a little oil, salt and pepper, roll the scallops in the mixture.
In a heated pan, sear them on both sides until they have taken on a golden brown colour.
Keep warm.
For the bergamot gel
170ml bergamot juice
1gr Agar Agar powder
10gr of sugar
Take a small saucepan and heat the bergamot juice with the sugar and Agar Agar powder.
Bring to a boil over medium heat for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.
Strain the liquid and put it in a shallow container, and let it cool in the fridge.
Once firm, using a hand blender, blitz until it is smooth and creamy.
Pour into a squeeze bottle for plating.
For the presentation (one portion)
Micro basil
Arrange three generous tablespoons of celeriac toward the edges of a plate.
Squeeze the bergamot gel a little off the centre of the plate.
Create a round of 2 cm in diameter.
Take a spoon, and with a linear movement starting from the centre of the round, going inwards, create a strip of gel.
On each scallop, finely shave a gram of white truffle.
Decorate with the micro basil.
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